Why battery power will help preserve AMG V8s

Battery power has emerged as an unlikely hero in Mercedes-AMG’s future V8 performance plans.

With tightening global regulations mandating lower emissions and fuel readouts in the future, the head of the Mercedes-AMG performance division has revealed traditional performance enthusiasts will soon owe much to the advent of hybrid technology.

According to Tobias Moers, implementing an electric motor alongside a traditional turbocharged V8 will help to prolong the shelf life of the internal combustion engine.

Speaking at the New York motor show, Moers made reference to the production GT Concept, and the role hybridisation will play in its powertrains.

“At the first beginning when we bring [the GT concept] to the market, the electric engine is not first and foremost but beyond 2020, it will be an absolute need for us,” Moers said.

“We see a lot of countries moving forward with carbon dioxide emission regulations, from my perspective the electrification of drivetrains is the future of performance.

“You have more efficient cars, you have a range or electrified driving and you have more power.”

Mercedes-Benz head of sales and marketing, Britta Seeger, anticipates that roughly 17 per cent of all new Mercedes-Benz cars will feature a plug-in hybrid drivetrain by 2025.

One thing the technology won’t prolong (or revive) is the naturally-aspirated V8 engine. The AMG division’s venerable 6.2-litre V8 engine, in particular, is a dead duck, according to Moers.

“Never again,” he said.

“Range is an issue yes. We focus on having a performance battery, we want a system that is always on, that you can draw heavily from.

“We are working together with other companies. The M-B hybrids are more long range. At AMG we use smaller companies because it is not a mass production for us.

"We have a clear understanding on how we work with Mercedes-Benz on hybrids, but we are the spearhead with performance batteries.”